


Unveiling The Future

by Talonwillow (TalonWillow)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Good Parent Sirius Black, Seer, Wrackspurts (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalonWillow/pseuds/Talonwillow
Summary: "Did I crash my bike?" Sirius delivered his usual half-grin while arranging his somewhat awkward position into one of deliberate composure. He ran his hand through his hair, tossing it perfectly. "Cause I am pretty sure I have died and gone to Heaven. Of course, in my Heaven, we would have a lot fewer clothes on."The lovely creature reached down and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet. With all sincerity in her eyes and a voice that would quiet even his demons, she responded, "No, not Heaven, Ottery St. Catchpole. And be glad you have your clothes on. You'd catch your death a cold without them in that blizzard."
Relationships: Sirius Black & Pandora Lovegood, Sirius Black/Mystery
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: The Marauders Advent 2020





	Unveiling The Future

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the amazing EmotionalSupportHufflepuff and TigrisAltaica for their alpha/Beta skills you guys are the best. And to the awesome Frumpologist for putting on this fun event!

Sirius beat the excess snow off his boots as the door banged against the pub's shabby outermost wall. The snowfall rushed past him trying to gain access as he attempted earnestly against the wind’s harsh, ruthless grip to pull it closed.

"Bloody...Stupid...door." His relentless tug-o-war finally let him pull the door shut with a loud thump, resulting in him landing on his arse. 

Roars of laughter could be heard from the corner of the nearly empty pub. 

Sirius looked around to see who had the gall to laugh at his predicament. Typically he wasn't entirely sober when he fell on his arse and wasn't able to see quite so clearly. His vision was obstructed by an odd, heavenly creature standing in his way. The pub's low lighting silhouetted her long blonde hair creating a glowing halo. Her smile could only be described as mystifying, and her eyes, the color of aquamarine, sparkled like gems. 

"Did I crash my bike?" Sirius delivered his usual half-grin while arranging his somewhat awkward position into one of deliberate composure. He ran his hand through his hair, tossing it perfectly. "Cause I am pretty sure I have died and gone to Heaven. Of course, in my Heaven, we would have a lot fewer clothes on." 

The lovely creature reached down and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet. With all sincerity in her eyes and a voice that would quiet even his demons, she responded, "No, not Heaven, Ottery St. Catchpole. And be glad you have your clothes on. You'd catch your death a cold without them in that blizzard." 

She then turned abruptly to wander over to behind the bar and began straightening glasses and bottles of butterbeer. 

"Iz, the bozo, bothering yous Pandora?" came a yell from the back, most likely from one of the chuckling idiots. He would deal with them later. 

"No, Leonard. Not at all." She spoke, her voice a melodic drift as she used her wand to send another round over to the large gentleman and his group of friends. 

"Wait, Pandora?" Sirius shook his head as he sidled into the nearest bar stool and really got a good look at the woman across the counter. Trying not to picture her naked beneath her long unusual hippy-looking robes, instead, he tried to envision her slightly younger and in blue and bronze colors. "Pandora…you were a Ravenclaw, weren't you?" 

She sent a bewildered glance his way before pouring him a glass of firewhiskey that he hadn't even asked for. "No, I  _ wasn't _ a Ravenclaw; I  _ am _ a Ravenclaw. I don't think that distinction leaves me just because I am no longer at school, do you, Sirius?" 

The glass had been halfway to his lips before it dawned on him that she was fully aware of who he was. His self-esteem urged the cocky grin to spread across his face as he slammed the firewhiskey back. "So, you remember me, eh? Yeah, I bet a lot of your ravens wanted to get your claws in ole Sirius Black, huh?" His cockiness knew no bounds as he made himself relaxed in his seat and took in his surroundings.

The Plucky Otter Inn was not his intended destination that evening. Sirius had been trying to get to Arthur and Molly Weasley's before the winter storm set in. Arthur had some alterations he was going to make to Sirius's Motorbike in exchange for some babysitting. He and Molly were hoping to get away for a short little holiday before their next little rugrat entered the fray in the spring. Honorary Uncle Sirius had no problem watching the five little tykes; someone had to teach the youngest twins all the right swear words. 

He was just passing through Glastonbury when the snow started to pick up. There's only so much a warming charm can do. Besides, he was catching quite his fair share of stares for riding a motorcycle in the middle of a blizzard and was forced to seek shelter in the first place where he would be able to use a floo. He remembered Arthur telling him about this wizarding pub the last time he came through. If he had known the barkeep looked this good, he would have frequented here more often. 

"Now, Sirius Black, I don't think any of us Ravenclaws wanted to hurt you." She looked at him, horrified before she filled his glass with another shot. "I mean, certainly several of them talked about snogging you; however, I don't think any of them would want to physically hurt you. Well, Unless you meant to claw you sexually?" 

Completely surprised at the words that came out of the little thing's mouth, Sirius choked on his firewhiskey, which caused him to splutter it all back out and across the bar top and down the front of his shirt. 

The chortling laughter from the back picked up again. 

Sirius gaped at the gorgeous woman, who clearly could not interpret insinuations. He glanced down at his now wet shirt as she handed him a towel and decided bluntness was best. "Of course, I meant sexually. Were you one of those Ravenclaws that wanted to snog me?" Taking his long trench-like coat off, Sirius started to mop at the front of his chest, making it a point to undo his top three buttons in the process. Might as well show her how _ Sirius  _ he was. 

Pandora inclined her head and peered up at him. She then looked him up and down as if appraising him. "Yes, I was." She then went right back to her work, washing off the sticky whiskey mess he had made on the bartop. 

Somewhat caught off guard, Sirius looked around, unsure if he had heard her correctly. "What?"

"Your ears must have wrackspurts in them. They are probably in there hiding from the cold. I will speak louder." She leaned in closer and articulated her words. At the same time, her dress front dropped a little lower, and Sirius was able to see the gentle curve of her collarbone." Yes, I was one of those who wanted to snog you. You are quite attractive to look at." 

She leaned in even closer and sniffed towards him. "You smell rather pleasant too. Like fresh parchment and tobacco...No, make that spearmint," she added as an afterthought. 

All Sirius could do was close his eyes and breathe. The Marauders used to make fun of the little wackadoo mercilessly in school. If only they had known she would become such a knockout. 

"So what brings you to Ottery St. Catchpole, Sirius?" Her volume was still high, but at least she was not shouting as she dished up some delicious smelling stew. 

Sirius' mind was in several different directions. He wanted to get back to the previous conversation-the one involving snogging. But, the tantalizing smell was stupefying, and he hadn't eaten since sometime outside of Durham.

She placed the bowl in front of him and waited patiently for his answer. "Weasleys… Burrow...rugrats..." was all he could get out between the heaping spoonfuls of stew he was shoving into his mouth.

"I see." She stated with a knowing nod, "However, Molly and Arthur are going to have to put their little Holiday on hold for a couple of days. This blizzard doesn't seem to be letting up at all. And unfortunately, our floo is frozen due to the cold. But, not to worry, Molly and Arthur are absolutely ok with it." 

His next spoonful stopped just before it came to his mouth. Sirius just eyed the woman; how could she have gotten all that information from those three words. 

He put his spoon down and wiped at his mouth with his napkin before looking at her perplexedly. "How could you possibly… Did you… What the…" 

"Did you not hear me? Oh, it must be those wrackspurts." Pandora went up onto her tippy toes, and this time grabbed his face within her hands. She then pushed his hair back to yell into his ear, "I said, I SEE." 

As soon as her hands left his skin, Sirius could feel the emptiness. Like cold air rushing in when a door was open. This woman was something else, this woman was special, she was magic, she was a…

"Wait, you're a seer? Like divination kind of seer?" Sirius looked around the pub, weary now, as this was the kind of information You-know-who would want to know. 

Without even realizing he had done it, his wand was in his hand, and he was in a protective pose. He felt a gentle calming pressure pushing his hand lower; Pandora's soft eyes quieted his anxious spirit. As Sirius gazed at her, he could see she held truths in her eyes that he may not want to hear. "No need to worry, Sirius. You don't need to worry about Leonard or any of his friends; they are all supporters of the Order as well. We can talk about anything openly here." 

"Can't we talk more about how you wanted to snog me?" Sirius replied with a playful grin trying to dissolve the charged moment he was now feeling. 

"Now, you are  _ not _ a seer, but I am sure you already know the answer to that." Her grin was more playful, alerting him that she was not as dense as she had led him to believe earlier. "Come sit; we have a lot to discuss. Another bowl of stew?" 

Sirius' stomach grumbled, answering her question. He walked over to the window as she went to prepare two bowls. He looked out at the blanket of white covering the town. He knew what was underneath all the snow. He had been to this town a handful of times, but it looked so different like this. He was starting to wonder if it wasn't just by chance he was there. Maybe it had been fate orchestrating the cold front over the British isles that would set the blizzard into motion that would land him in this pub eating this stew with this seer. 

Sirius breathed in the cold air then exhaled, creating a foggy patch on the glass. 

The clang of a bowl and a glass on the table behind him brought him out of his musing. 

"Butterbeer, instead of firewhiskey." She sat down, gracefully at the table, and started to eat her stew eagerly. He always did love a woman who had a healthy appetite.

"Why am I here?" Sirius' vulnerability surprised even himself. 

Putting her spoon down, she enveloped his hand consolingly before responding, "I don't know," with all sincerity in her voice.

"But your a..." He began to shout but then lowered his voice because, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he knew better than to be careless with that type of information. Whether she said, it was safe or not."You're a… You know." 

"I know what I am." Pandora's voice had a slight edge to it, still melodic and beautiful, but it held a hint of disdain. "But I am not sure WHY you are here. The only thing I knew for sure was that you would be here. I also know that this storm will last for the next three days. Oh, yes, and the floo network won't be up for at least another week, but you do not need to worry because I have already talked to Molly and Arthur and told them you will be safe here for the duration of the storm." She patted his hand motheringly, the way Molly would. 

Sirius scratched at the 5 o'clock shadow that was peppering his chin while he considered what the strange little woman had just told him.

"So, you knew a storm was coming."

"Mh, hmm."

"And that I would be coming here." 

"Yes. But I had no idea you would be bringing such an infestation of wrackspurts." 

"Whatever, and you already talked to Molly and Arthur and told them what?" 

"I told them Sirius Black would be stopping at The Plucky Otter." 

Why was it so hard to get information from the little thing? Sirius just snickered and took a swig of his butterbeer as he thought of a better way to address this. His flirty wit and charm were not working their usual magic, and bluntness was not doing the trick either. He didn't speak wackadoo, so he was clearly out of options.

He breathed in a deep breath and looked back out the window at the blizzard—three days of this. 

"It will be a long dozen. Then another long dozen after that. Only after she pulls back the veil will you understand." Pandora's aquamarine eyes were drilling into Sirius' dark ones, as she held a distressed look on her face. "Your heart is with the Plucky Otter; it will always be with the Plucky Otter." 

A giant roar erupted out of Sirius' chest as her words made no sense to him. She shook her head as well as if just coming out of a daze… 

"What is so funny, Sirius?" 

Sirius' laugh tapered off, "What did you just say?" 

"I said, What is so funny, Sirius?"

He moaned. This woman was mad. "No, before that?" Sirius rose and came around to grasp her up by her shoulders.

"I said, I told them Sirius Black would be stopping…"

"No, the thing about the dozen veils… and the...she…" Sirius stopped and looked at her again- really looked her up and down. 

"I get it." Sirius waggled his finger in her face and looked around again, but he started chuckling to himself this time. "Ok, I get it. Prongs, err... Potter put you up to this….Prongs, you can come out now." He got up and started looking around the pub; he started jabbing ridiculously at thin air, where he assumed James would be standing in his invisibility cloak. Pandora just watched as he walked around, looking under and around. Calling out for someone who was not there. 

After about an hour (and several rounds of alcohol), Sirius was convinced entirely that Leonard and his comrades were not James, Remus, and Peter Polyjuiced and having a go at him. But he had made some new friends, and they were all singing a round of "God rest ye merry gentlemen," off-key and very loudly. Two other patrons had just made their way out of the blizzard. 

All evening Sirius had been pondering what Pandora had said, dozens of years and something about veils. He looked up at the attractive blond woman behind the bar and smiled. He was pretty sure he had pieced it together. In about a dozen years, He and Pandora would be married, she would be wearing a veil, and they would probably have twelve kids or something. He hadn't worked that last part out. But why else had she said that last part- his heart would always be with The Plucky Otter? 

The huge grin that was spread across his face changed to that of a scowl and a shout of "NOOOOO" as Sirius glimpsed over and saw his future bride kissing some strange looking weirdo. 

Sirius sprang from his seat between Leonard's friends. Climbing over them, awakening one in the process, Sirius stumbled over to the embracing couple. 

The weirdo dared to shield Pandora from him-like Sirius meant to do her harm. 

"Sirius, I think you need to have a seat before you fall." Pandora moved out from behind the man to help guide him to the closest table. The weirdo and his stoic glare, not far behind. 

"Why are you kissing that man?" Sirius asked as he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. 

Pandora just giggled, the way she would if she were explaining something to a child. "Oh, Sirius. I'm sorry, how silly of me; this is my husband, Xenophilius Lovegood- You remember him right. He was a year below us at Hogwarts." She looked up at the man with true love and adoration in her gem-like eyes. "We live not far from the Burrow, but since I knew the storm was coming in. He came here to stay at the inn until the blizzard passed. Wasn't that kind of him?" 

Sirius witnessed as they gazed at each other, and he felt sick to his stomach. 

If she was already married, then what had her vision meant then? He didn't completely hate the idea of marriage, and 12 years gave him plenty of time to get things out of his system. Maybe it's best that it's not Pandora, perhaps someone a little less on the crazy scale. And maybe it's a good thing that he wasn't marrying someone who would give him 12 children that looked like Lucius Malfoy's. So this was a good thing that he had gotten it wrong. Now, If only he had been paying a little more attention. Oh, well. That was a problem for another day. But he had 3 more days of being stuck in this pub and right now he had some celebrating to do. 

"Leonard, Wake the friends up," Sirius shouted as he grabbed at the Ogdens Finest. "Guess who's _ not _ getting married? This guy!" 

  
  
  


________________________________

Sirius looked out the fogged up glass into the vast white wonderland that was the Devon countryside. The blizzard had set in quickly; even the muggle weathermen were baffled at the strange turn of events that brought the cold front so far south. One plus to the whiteout was his wife always did love a white Christmas. 

"Da, please tell me another story. You know I can't go to sleep without another story." The cherubic child Sirius had been tucking into bed was relentless. She always insisted on one more.

"Of course Kitten," He tucked her errant chestnut curls behind her tiny ear. "Did I ever tell you the one about how I met your mum?" 

The little four-year-old nestled into her covers, clutching her favorite plushy to her chest to listen to her favorite story. 

Sirius started off as he always did, animated and acting out. "Your da had gone and stayed a dozen... How long is a dozen, sweetheart?"

"Twelve", She squealed out with a giggle; she always loved being part of his stories. 

"That's right, your so smart... You got that from your mum. Anyways. I stayed a dozen years in an evil castle called Castle Azkaban, then my friend Padfoot- you love Padfoot, don't you." Her precious laughter filled the room as they talked about Sirius' alter-ego "got me out of the bad castle. But then Daddy only got to spend a few years getting to know uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny and even got to meet mummy- but she was very, very young. And then an evil sorceress sent Daddy to a dark, dark place." 

Instead of getting frightened like most little girls would when a scary part of a story would happen, this child was a genuine product of two Gryffindors. She grabbed her play wand to pretend to stab at the phantom threat. 

Sirius got serious as he knew this was her favorite part. "But then, after another dozen years; And we know that's twelve, right? Daddy saw one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen." 

His eyes started misting as he thought about his time in the veil, time that held no meaning, no sense, no anything until he saw the silver mist floating towards him. Only an exceptionally powerful mind could have figured out how to save him. 

He picked up the child's plushy, a silver Otter, and made a flying motion towards her. 

"A Plucky Little Otter- Your Mum's Patronus, had made its way into the darkness to find me. To save me. She pulled me out." Tears welled in his eyes. Ten years ago, Hermione Granger had risked her life, her career to search the veil for him and succeeded. 

It wasn't until quite some time after he had been given a second chance at life that he remembered an encounter during a Blizzard much like the one raging outside right now. Fate had joined him with the most peculiar woman, a woman that for a moment he thought he would know forever. The funny thing was he never saw again after that night. He hadn't even thought about Pandora or her vision until he had been contemplating asking Hermione to marry him. 

Hermione's family was the Weasley's, and it only felt right to ask her father, or the only real father that she had for her hand in marriage. Arthur had asked Sirius to meet him at the local wizarding pub in town- The Surly Dog. It wasn't until he arrived that he realized that this was the same pub, just with a different name, that he had once received a real vision from a young seer, one who was taken too soon. 

And the vision had come true. 

Little hands reached up to grab at the plushy otter still in Sirius' hands. "And then you had me, and we all lived happily ever after. Tell me again da, Tell it again." 

Sirius laughed and booped her on the nose before tucking her back in. "No, kitten. Enough story's for tonight. You must get to bed. Father Christmas is coming tonight, and you must be as..." 

Fake snoring was coming from the child as Sirius backed out of the room to join Hermione for a warm bath and Christmas Eve hot cocoa. 

He stopped at the door to look at the fake sleeping child, contentedness, and love overwhelming him. "Good night, my sweet Pandora." 


End file.
